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4.25.2015

We're smack dab in the middle of enjoying our first Spring season at the farmhouse! Knee deep in yard work, yard work and more yard work, but completely in awe of God's creation all around us. The world celebrated Earth Day this week and I shared a quote on my Instagram account by Henry David Thoreau - "Heaven is under our feet as well as above our heads." We have so much gratitude for this little plot of land that we get to call home.

We need a mud room!!!!

We've joked that all the birds must have flocked to our farm this Spring to raise their babies! Every where we turn we seem to find a new nest hiding somewhere. There's a sweet little nest directly above the front door that has been there for years, even before we bought the farmhouse. It was too precious to move. A momma bird had babies in it last Fall and now we're getting to watch a new momma bird raise some Spring babies, too. I got to see them on the day they hatched and now I'm completely obsessed with watching them grow! It's incredible how fast they change right before your eyes. I consulted some friends via social media and the consensus is that these may be European Starlings. Whatever they are, they sure are CUTE!

On April 1st, Brett called to tell me the Kubota ATV he'd been eyeing for a while was on sale. Clearly that wasn't an April Fool's Joke. Truth is, it's an investment we really needed to make. We had purchased an older gas powered golf cart with a dump bed when we first closed in September, but we were running it into the ground working around the property and driving it nearly every single day. The new ATV is probably my favorite thing ever! Definitely functional and super fun to drive. Baker's morning routine now consists of a quick breakfast, throwing on his boots and heading to the back door yelling "ready-to-ride!" and "ride-ride!" It's fun being a farm mom. :)

We've also run into some challenges here and there. If you know anyone with farm land, they'll probably tell you they have several piles of 'stuff' on the back forty. I wasn't aware that this was A Thing, but evidently it is. LOL! We have lots of those piles and have added even more to them than what was originally collected when we moved here. The previous owners actually owned an excavation business at one point so we've found lots of interesting things buried all around! We've cleaned up tons of metal scraps, hence the huge pile below..

While Brett was bush hogging the big field behind the lake last week, the tractor kicked back a huge piece of one of these metal rods and it pierced one of the big rear tractor tires. RUH-ROH. I just so happened to be taking a walk around the lake when it happened and saw everything. I had no clue, but tractor tires are filled with water and anti-freeze to weigh them down so water was gushing out of the tire like crazy! You learn something new every day, I tell ya.. Luckily, the Fire Chief at the local fire station also owns a tire shop down the street. They were able to repair the tire which was a HUGE relief. It would have been well over $500 to replace it! We're just crossing our fingers that it lasts us for a while. Our tractor gets a lot of use around here!

With each passing season comes a completely different landscape to enjoy. We literally feel like we're walking through a painting sometimes. The property has been absolutely gorgeous this Spring. Sometimes I wonder if I'm taking to many photos or documenting too much, but I never want to forget a single detail of this home as it transforms during our renovations and throughout each season.

I hope you all enjoy this Spring gallery although I can't imagine how photos can truly do the scenery justice! Our hope is that we'll have the opportunity to give our friends and family a tour in person when you all visit. :)

4.24.2015

We absolutely love our farmhouse and new town and we'll happily tell just about anyone who'll listen all about it! For us, the hardest thing about moving somewhere new was being farther away from family and friends and the fear of losing the sense of community that we had grown to love in our last neighborhood. But we knew without a doubt that we were making the right decision for our family and so we took the leap. Aside from a few immediate neighbors (who were incredibly welcoming!) we didn't know a single soul in our new town... And so it began - Operation: Make New Friends.

Brett is a career firefighter and noticed the local fire department the first time we ever drove down Main Street in the City of Columbiana. He has a habit of doing that.. noticing fire departments, hydrants, trucks. Basically, anything related to the fire service in any town we visit. We closed on the farmhouse last Fall, but by this Spring he was ready to introduce himself and get to know a little more about the local station. I am so glad he did! Over the last few months he's gotten really involved. Teaching classes, attending meetings and picking up shifts. But best of all, he's forging new friendships.

A few weekends ago we hosted a little farm party for the local fire fighter families. What a WONDERFUL group of people! We had a great time getting to know lots of new friends and enjoying some beautiful Spring weather at the farm. Plus, we'll never pass up an opportunity to put our fire pit to use.

To our new community and all our new friends - Thank you so much for embracing our family and being so kind to us. We promise to be good neighbors and great friends and give back to this wonderful town as much as we can. We love you all and we love it here.

- Lauren

Do you love the serving ware I used? You can purchase the 3-Tier Tray right here from one of my favorite shops!

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